Play! Pkémn VG Turnament Rules & Frmats Revised: February 4, 2013 Table f Cntents POKÉMON VIDEO GAME TOURNAMENT RULES...3 1. Game Cards...3 1.1. Game Systems...3 2. Team Restrictins...3 2.1. External Devices...3 3. Team Registratin...3 4. Time Limits...4 4.1. Pre-game Time Limit...4 4.2. Mid-game Time Limit...4 4.3. Match Time Limits...4 5. Match Reslutin...4 5.1. Tiebreakers...4 5.2. Sudden Death...5 POKÉMON VIDEO GAME TOURNAMENT FORMATS...6 6. Standard Frmat Style...6 6.1. Duble Battle...6 7. Standard Team Cnstructin Rules...6 8. Sanctined Frmat...6 8.1. Mdified Frmat...6 9. Unsanctined Fun Frmats...7 9.1. Single Battle...8
2 9.2. Triple Battle...8 9.3. Rtatin Battle...8 Appendix A. Dcument Updates...9
3 POKÉMON VIDEO GAME TOURNAMENT RULES This sectin cntains turnament rules specific t the Pkémn vide games. All attendees are expected t cmply with the applicable sectins f these rules while attending a PLAY! Pkémn turnament. 1. Game Cards Only legitimate Pkémn Game Cards can be used in PLAY! Pkémn turnaments. Players are restricted n which language Game Cards they can use, based n the cuntry where they are playing. Players at Eurpean events may nly use Eurpean Game Cards. Players at Nrth American events may nly use Nrth American Game Cards. Players at the Wrld Champinships may nly use Game Cards that are legal in their hme markets, and have been fficially released in Nrth America. 1.1. Game Systems Players may use any system in the Nintend DS family f systems during the cmpetitin. This includes the Nintend DS, Nintend DS Lite, Nintend DSi, Nintend DSi XL, Nintend 3DS, and the Nintend 3DS XL. Players are respnsible fr bringing a charger that is cmpatible with their system. 2. Team Restrictins Players may nly use Pkémn that are legal fr the turnament frmat. Players are respnsible fr ensuring that their team adheres t any restrictins set frth by the turnament frmat and this dcument. Please see [link t VG Frmat Dc] in rder t review frmat specific requirements. 2.1. External Devices The use f external devices t mdify r create items r Pkémn in a player s party is expressly frbidden. Players fund t have Pkémn r items that have been tampered with will be disqualified frm cmpetitin, regardless f whether the Pkémn r items belng t that player r were traded fr. POP Recmmends players nly use Pkémn that they have raised themselves and items that they have received thrugh nrmal game play. It is always the player s respnsibility t have legal Pkémn and items during the cmpetitin. 3. Team Registratin Befre the first rund f a turnament, team registratin may ccur. This prcess invlves each player listing the exact cntents f his r her team. T make team registratin easier n the turnament staff, players shuld cmplete their team list prir t registratin. These team lists can later be used by Turnament Organizers and judges t verify that a team has nt been altered since the utset f a turnament. Players are nt allwed t change their Pkémn r items at any time during a turnament.
4 4. Time Limits Turnament staff is respnsible fr running a timely event. T assist in this effrt, POP has established guidelines fr time limits during varius prtins f the event. 4.1. Pre-game Time Limit Players will have 90 secnds t view their ppnent s team and select their Pkémn. 4.2. Mid-game Time Limit Any mid-game effects, such as selecting a mve r retreating Pkémn, are t take place within the 60 secnds allcated per turn. Nte taking may nly ccur when nt being prmpted t select a mve. 4.3. Match Time Limits Single-game matches will be 20 minutes. Fr best-f-three matches, each game will be 20 minutes. 5. Match Reslutin A player wins by kncking ut his r her ppnent s final Pkémn. If the player s final Pkémn used Selfdestruct, Explsin, Destiny Bnd, r Final Gambit, and bth players final Pkémn are kncked ut as a result, that player lses that game If a player s final Pkémn used Duble Edge, Vlt Tackle, Flare Blitz, Take Dwn, Submissin, Brave Bird, Wd Hammer, Head Smash, Struggle, r Wild Charge, r was hlding Life Orb, and bth players final Pkémn are kncked ut as a result, that player wins that game If bth players final Pkémn is kncked ut by a weather cnditin, such as Hail r Sandstrm, the player whse Pkémn is kncked ut last wins the game If a Pkémn s Ability r held item, such as Rugh Skin, Aftermath, Liquid Oze, Irn Barbs, r Rcky Helmet, results in each player s final Pkémn being kncked ut, the player with the Ability r held item will win the game A player wh selects Run during a battle will cunt as the lser f that game, whether selected intentinally r nt. 5.1. Tiebreakers Shuld the time limit expire befre a player kncks ut his r her ppnent s final Pkémn, the winner f the game is determined based n the criteria belw. 1. Remaining Pkémn a. If ne player has mre remaining Pkémn than the ther, that player wins the game. b. If bth players have the same number f Pkémn remaining, the result f the game is determined by average percentage f HP remaining, as described belw. 2. Average Percentage f HP Remaining a. If ne player s team has a higher average percentage f HP remaining, that player wins the game. b. If bth players teams have the same average HP remaining, the result f the game is determined by amunt f HP remaining, as described belw. 3. Amunt f Ttal HP Remaining
5 a. If ne player s team has a higher ttal HP remaining, that player wins the game. b. If bth players teams have the same ttal HP remaining, the result f the game is a tie. 5.2. Sudden Death If a game ends in a tie during the single eliminatin prtin f an event, a single Sudden Death game is played t determine the winner f the match. Players are required t gain an advantage in number f remaining Pkémn ver their ppnent. Turnament staff will evaluate the game at the end f each turn t determine if an advantage has been gained. After each turn has been cmpleted, the turnament staff will determine the number f Pkémn that each player has remaining. If bth players have the same number f Pkémn remaining at the end f the turn, the game cntinues fr anther turn. If a player has mre remaining Pkémn than his r her ppnent at the end f any turn, that player wins the game. Once the winner f the active game has been determined, the fllwing criteria will be used t determine the winner f the match, based n which game in the match has just been cmpleted. Game 1: The players prceed t game 2. Game 2: If the winner f game 2 als wn game 1, that player wins the match. If the winner f game 2 did nt win game 1, the match is tied and the players prceed t game 3. Game 3: The winner f game 3 wins the match.
6 POKÉMON VIDEO GAME TOURNAMENT FORMATS Pkémn Organized Play supprts several turnament frmats fr sanctined play f the Pkémn vide games. This dcument cvers each f the apprved frmats and their variatins. Turnaments that d nt use ne f the frmats described here may nt be sanctined. 6. Standard Frmat Style All sanctined Pkémn vide game turnaments require players t assemble a team f Pkémn, with items, prir t the start f the event. The standard frmat style fr all PLAY! Pkémn turnaments is Duble Battle. 6.1. Duble Battle In Duble Battles, each player selects fur Pkémn frm his r her party f six t battle with. At the start f the battle, players send ut the first tw Pkémn in their party, making a ttal f fur Pkémn n the battlefield. Game play cntinues until a player kncks ut all fur f his r her ppnent s Pkémn. 7. Standard Team Cnstructin Rules When building a team fr a PLAY! Pkémn turnament, all players must adhere t these standard cnstructin rules. A player s team cannt cntain tw Pkémn with the same Pkédex number Each Pkémn n a player s team can hld an item, thugh n tw Pkémn may hld the same item A player s team cannt cntain tw Pkémn with the same nickname A player s team cannt cntain a Pkémn nicknamed with the name f anther Pkémn (fr example, an Unfezant named Pidve ) Pkémn may nly use mves that have been learned thrugh ne f the fllwing methds: By leveling up By TM r HM As an Egg mve, thrugh breeding Frm a character in the game A mve already knwn by a Pkémn received at an fficial Pkémn event r prmtin A mve already knwn by a Pkémn that has been transferred frm anther Pkémn game via Pké Transfer r the Relcatr. 8. Sanctined Frmat Pkémn Organized Play supprts ne frmat fr sanctined play: Mdified. Sanctined events are listed n the POP website, and the results are reprted t POP after the event cncludes. 8.1. Mdified Frmat The Mdified frmat is the standard turnament frmat fr PLAY! Pkémn vide game events. This frmat will be used at all premier events unless specified therwise. The Mdified frmat fr the 2013 seasn will use the fllwing restrictins: Only Pkémn Black Versin 2 and Pkémn White Versin 2 Game Cards are permitted fr use.
7 Players may use Pkémn frm the Natinal Pkédex, frm N. 001 649, that are caught in the game, transferred frm a previus Pkémn title, r received at an fficial event r distributin The fllwing Pkémn may nt be n a player s team: 150 Mewtw 151 Mew 249 Lugia 250 H-Oh 251 Celebi 382 Kygre 383 Grudn 384 Rayquaza 385 Jirachi 386 Dexys 441 Chatt 483 Dialga 484 Palkia 487 Giratina 489 Phine 490 Manaphy 491 Darkrai 492 Shaymin 493 Arceus 494 Victini 643 Reshiram 644 Zekrm 646 Kyurem 647 Kelde 648 Meletta 649 Genesect Pkémn must be placed in the Battle Bx. Pkémn abve level 50 are permitted, but they are aut-leveled dwn t 50 fr the duratin f battle. Players may use Pkémn with Hidden Abilities that have been fficially released thrugh the Pkémn Glbal Link r an fficial event r prmtin. Pkémn may nt knw the mves Sky Drp r Dark Vid. Pkémn may nt hld the item Sul Dew. Players may use items that have been fficially released via Pkémn Black Versin, Pkémn White Versin, Pkémn Black Versin 2, Pkémn White Versin 2, the Pkémn Glbal Link, r an fficial event r prmtin. The Wnder Launcher cannt be used during battle. 9. Unsanctined Fun Frmats The frmats listed belw are intended as a fun, alternate way t play the Pkémn vide game and are nt recgnized as sanctined frmats. These frmats are great fr leagues, casual gatherings, r side events. The
8 fficial rules fr these frmats are included here t help prvide cnsistency fr cases when yur Turnament Organizer r League Leader decides t run a nn-sanctined event using ne f these frmats. 9.1. Single Battle The Single Battle frmat is the basic battle frmat, where tw Pkémn battle ne-n-ne. 9.2. Triple Battle The Triple Battle frmat allws each player t send ut three Pkémn at a time, with ne Pkémn in the center and the tw remaining Pkémn t its left and right. Pkémn are limited as t which ppsing Pkémn can be affected by mves based n where they are psitined n the battlefield. 9.3. Rtatin Battle In this frmat, each player sends ut three Pkémn at a time, with ne Pkémn t the frnt and tw Pkémn t the rear. Only the Pkémn in the frnt can attack. Between turns, players have the ptin f rtating the team, allwing ne f the Pkémn in the rear t mve t the frnt and the Pkémn in the frnt t mve t the rear.
9 Appendix A. Dcument Updates Pkémn Organized Play reserves the right t alter these rules, as well as the right t interpret, mdify, clarify, r therwise issue fficial changes t these rules, with r withut prir ntice. Dcument updates will be made available at www. pkemn.cm Changes fr Nvember 1, 2012 Separated file frm Pkémn Trading Card Game Separated file frm Pkémn Turnament Rules Cmbined Pkémn VG Turnament Frmat and Pkémn VG Turnament Rules Updated rules t Black and White 2 nly General refrmatting f dcument Changes fr September 20, 2012 General refrmatting f dcument